Review: Such a Pretty Smile

Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Have you ever picked up a book and expected it to be a certain way, but then after a good chunk into it you have to look at the cover, read the synopsis, and figure out if it was the book you thought it was? Well, this is one of those books. It is not at all what I expected and quite honestly, I still don’t know that I completely understand what I just read.

The story follows Caroline and Lila, mother and daughter, and is told in 2004 and 2019. Strange things happen to both of them many years apart, and they are told something is wrong with them. Meanwhile, young girls are disappearing and many are found dead. Who is causing this chaos every so many years?

Seriously, idk what I just read and I don’t quite understand what it was. It just seemed like the whole book was this big lead in/build up to what was behind it all, yet I still don’t quite get it. This was one of the strangest books I’ve ever read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC ebook.

View all my reviews

Review: The Churchill Sisters: The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine's Daughters

The Churchill Sisters: The Extraordinary Lives of Winston and Clementine's Daughters by Rachel Trethewey
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I didn't really know much about Winston Churchill other than the fact that he was the Prime Minister of the UK, and I certainly didn't know anything about his family.

This book is about the daughters of Winston Churchill, how different they all were from one another, their almost nonexistent relationship with their mother, and their devotion to their father.

If you really enjoy facts on historical figures, then this book is for you! This book is so jam packed with facts that it kind of takes the enjoyment out of it. I did like getting to know and learn about these women, but it felt like a book that you were made to read in school -- lots of info and filler.

Unfortunately, I am not a history buff so this book just wasn't for me, but I am certain that anyone who is a fan of Churchill and/or loves history would really love this one!

I received this book from St. Martin's Press as an ARC through NetGalley -- thank you.

View all my reviews

Review: My Mother's Eyes: A Short Story

My Mother's Eyes: A Short Story by Jeremy Ray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It amazes me how much power and emotion can be packed into a short story like this but it does not surprise me that it was done by the great Jeremy Ray!

Jordie and Brian’s mom is in a coma after a suicide attempt leaving the boys lost and filled with emotions that they don’t know how to deal with. Jordie tries to sketch his mom to preserve her memory but just can’t get the eyes right no matter how hard he tries.

We all go through stuff in our lives and we all deal with things differently, especially grief. Mr. Ray depicts this perfectly and tells a fabulous story while doing so!

Thank you for another book to knock everyone’s socks off!! I can’t wait for the next one!

View all my reviews

Review: A History of Wild Places

A History of Wild Places by Shea Ernshaw
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I don’t know, I’m kind of all over the place with my feelings about this book. It was like a roller coaster - the build up, and total great story right out of the gate, interesting, flipping pages good. But then it really hits the brakes and I found myself having a hard time focusing or even wanting to pick up the book to read on. And then you get to a certain point in the story - about 80% in - where you put the book down and scream WTF, and then can’t stop reading to find out what crazy train thing is going to happen next. But then the ending just seemed to fall flat for me!

So with that being said, I really liked the storyline. The author that goes missing, the “seer” who is hired to find her, and where they end up. It was strange, creepy, weird, and really makes you wonder about the commune or off the grid lifestyle.

I didn’t love this book but I didn’t hate it either. I just wish that it would’ve been more consistent throughout.

View all my reviews

Review: Doctoroo & the Hacking Hippo

Doctoroo & the Hacking Hippo by S.C. Burns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Doctor Marsha is on the hunt to find out why Hilda the Hippo, the famous opera singer, is sick and not getting any better. They visit the opera house and play detective to find out what could possibly be the culprit.

This is a very cute book that helps explain the importance of being clean and washing your hands to avoid the spread of germs. It is geared towards preschoolers and you elementary aged kids, but I know a few adults that could stand to read this too. The pictures are amazing and very well done to match the story.

View all my reviews

Review: Olga Dies Dreaming

Olga Dies Dreaming by Xóchitl González
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those books that, I feel, maybe needed to be written to shed light on Puerto Rico and the state that it is in after many devastating blows. I know that I was definitely schooled because I didn’t realize that it is like the little forgotten about cousin of the United States.

As for the storyline and plot, I’m still scratching my head. It took me quite a long time for me to read this one. You have Olga and Prieto, siblings, who were abandoned by their mother while in their teens and had a father who died because he preferred a life of drugs. Olga is a wedding planner for the rich and elite, Prieto a politician. Olga has trouble keeping relationships and Prieto is in the closet. When Mom decides to pop up in their lives again it stirs up all kinds of things but most of all trouble.

It’s not that I didn’t like this book, it’s just that it was very political. I loved the family bonds and learning more about the Puerto Rican culture, and how the people of Puerto Rico feel about the U.S. government. I also enjoyed the strong independent characters. But for me, it was just a little too much politics in my face for my liking.

P.S. Fact check: Dallas was not flooded by Harvey - Houston was. And having been in the Houston area during Harvey I can say with

View all my reviews

Review: The Maid

The Maid by Nita Prose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Molly is different. She is very socially awkward, takes things quite literally, and has a difficult time reading people’s expressions. She also loves all things to be clean, therefor loves and thrives at her job as a maid in a fancy hotel. She recently lost her grandmother, who had raised her, and she feels quite alone. Her world is turned upside down even more when she discovers a guest at the hotel dead in his bed and she is the prime suspect in his murder.

I really enjoyed this book. I felt for Molly and what she went through. As a mom, I just wanted to wrap her in a big hug, put her in a bubble, and make sure she was okay. I very much disliked mostly all the the characters for various reasons, but good writing can bring out those feelings, which makes for a great book! It was slightly slow in the beginning but it turned around and I found myself not being able to turn the pages fast enough.

View all my reviews

Review: Blue

Blue by Emmelie Prophète
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Novel in prose

I'm not really sure where to start.....

Have you ever been to a poetry reading or heard someone recite poetry on TV? And you know how they get super into it and very dramatic in their presentation? Well, that's what I imagined while reading this book. (snap, snap, snap).

This book is about a Haitian woman returning home from the U.S. after attending a funeral. I know she is drinking coffee and I know she has a lot on her mind because the entire book is her jumping from one thing to the next in quirky little prose like sentences.

I know that it has been translated and maybe the story got lost in the translation. It is very much about all the bad in the narrator's life and that of her family , from life, death, living situations, more death. It really just jumps all over the place from one thought to the next. I don't know if there was a storyline somewhere in there or just the ramblings of her mind in prose (snap, snap, snap).

I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.

View all my reviews